OUT OF THE BOX VENUES

Ljubljana Castle

Ljubljana Castle, the crowning glory of the city, has helped shape the capital’s silhouette for more than five centuries. This mighty medieval fortress is an ideal venue for special events offering an outstanding view over the city, a romantic atmosphere and many cultural, historic and entertaining events throughout the year.

Museum Quartier Metelkova

Metelkova is an internationally-renowned alternative culture community in the centre of Slovenia’s capital. Metelkova with the museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova represents an excellent location for different, more daring events.

Kino Šiška

Kino Šiška is the central Slovenian institution for contemporary and urban culture manifested in concerts and in visual and performing arts. It hosts more than 250 events per year. With larger and smaller hall, exhibition space and café with a summer garden, Kino Šiška is a great venue for an “urban” event.

Bled Castle

Bled Castle – according to written sources, the oldest castle in Slovenia, first mentioned in a 1011, is set on a cliff rising 130 metres above the glacial Lake Bled. Castle terraces offer spectacular views of the lake and the island. Together with the restaurant and museum are a superb venue for events.

Negova Castle

Whilst the castle was first mentioned in the 12th century, it was most probably already settled in the Stone and Bronze Ages. With a renovation in 2012 it became a superb venue for cultural events, concerts, social events and conferences. The main room can be used as a ballroom for banquets and receptions for up to 120 guests (seating). If planning an incentive, you can make a deal with the castle witch, Apolonija, known for her magical potions from the castle herbal garden.

Villa Vipolže

Villa Vipolže, a renaissance manor house from the 17th century, was restored in 2015 and is now used as a multicultiral centre for events, conferences and receptions. It is settled in the in the middle of the marvellous landscape of Brda, 15 km from Nova Gorica.

MUST TASTE GASTRONOMY

Štruklji

This is one of the most characteristic dishes, known all over Slovenia. Štruklji are made from different kinds of dough and can have a wide range of fillings; they can be baked or cooked, sweet or savory. Until around the 1930’s they used to be prepared at holidays and festivities and to celebrate the end of major farm work. The most special kind of štruklji, especially during spring and summer, is prepared with tarragon filling. Other widely known varieties are those with cottage cheese filling, walnut, apple and poppy seed štruklji, along with many others.

Carniolan sausage

This is the best known Slovenian foodstuff in the world, and is based on the rich heritage of turning the pig into meat products. The first mention of the sausage as ‘Carniolan’ was in 1896.

Potica

Potica is the most typical Slovenian dessert. It is made with more than 80 different fi llings. Potica is a characteristic festive dessert made from different kinds of dough. The most characteristic types of potica include tarragon, honey, walnut, poppy seed, crackling, chive, lovage and cottage cheese.

Bled Cream Cake

A cream slice made of leaves of dough, filled with vanilla and sweet cream that was invented after the Second World War and is now Bled’s main culinary speciality.

Prekmurska gibanica

This excellent, juicy and most widespread Slovenian dessert from Prekmurje is stuffed with poppy seeds, cottage cheese, walnuts and apples. It is trademarked as a foodstuff with an indication of traditional reputation and therefore can only be made under this name if the original protected recipe is respected in full.

Ljubljana cake

There are plenty of specialities that one needs to try when in Ljubljana. Those with a sweet tooth should definitely indulge themselves with the lovely Ljubljana Cake that features ingredients characteristics of all the Slovenian regions: pumpkin seeds, chestnuts, honey, buckwheat and figs. The Ljubljana Cake is available exclusively at Čopova 14.

MUST TASTE WINE

PRIMORSKA WINE REGION

Primorska wine region is Slovenia’s most widely known and prominent wine region. It is subdivided into four districts.

The Brda district borders the Italian wine region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia with the Collio Goriziano Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC). This region was one of the first in Slovenia to make a concentrated attempt at establishing an international reputation for quality. The area is planted with international varieties of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Pinot gris (Sivi Pinot), and Pinot noir (Modri Pinot) as well as Rebula, Refosco (Refošk) and Friulano. Brda is best known for its Rebula white wine and Merlot-Cabernet blends.

The Koper district on the Istrian peninsula along the Adriatic coast is the warmest wine region in Slovenia. The Refosco and Malvazija grapes are the most widely planted in Koper.

The Karst plateau district, located near the Italian city of Trieste, is known for the wine style Teran which is a very dark, highly acidic red wine made from Refosco planted in the region’s red iron-rich soil. Other varieties grown in the region include Piccola nera.

The Vipava Valley district specializes in light, crisp white wines made from the local Pinela and Zelen grapes. Other grapes found throughout the Littoral region include Barbera, Beli Pinot (Beli Burgundec), Cabernet Franc, Cipro, Glera, Klarnica, Laški Rizling, Maločrn, Rumeni Muškat, Syrah and Vitovska Grganja.

PODRAVJE REGION

The Drava Valley is the largest wine region in Slovenia and is subdivided into 7 districts. The Radgona-Kapela district was the first Slovenia wine region to produce sparkling (penina) wine using the méthode champenoise in 1852. The Ljutomer-Ormož district includes the village of Jeruzalem which is known for white wine made from Dišeči Traminec and Ranina. Along with Radgona-Kapela and the Maribor district, Ljutomer-Ormož produces some of the best examples of Drava Valley wine. While the Haloze district is improving in quality, that district along with the Prekmurje, Srednje Slovenske Gorice, and Šmarje-Virštanj districts have small production that is consumed locally. Nearly 97% of the wine made in the Drava Valley region is white wine. Other grape varieties found in the Drava Valley include Chasselas, Gamay, Kerner, Kraljevina, Muškat Otonel, Portugalka, Ranfol, Rizvanec, Rumeni Muškat, Zeleni Silvanec, Zlahtnina and Zweigelt.

POSAVJE REGION

The Lower Sava Valley is the only Slovenian wine region that produces more red wine than white, though not by a large margin. The area is subdivided into three districts. The Bizeljsko-Brežice district is known for its sparkling wine production and acidic white wines made from the Rumeni Plavec grape. The Lower Carniola district is known for its production of Cviček made from a blend of white and red wine grapes, most commonly Kraljevina and Žametovka. The White Carniola district is known for its red wine made from Modra Frankinja and Rumeni Muškat. Other grapes found planted throughout The Lower Sava Valley include Beli Pinot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gamay, Modri Pinot, Neuburger, Ranina, Rdeča Zlahtnina, Renski Rizling, Šentlovrenka, Šipon, Sivi Pinot, Traminec, and Zweigelt. Currently the Lower Sava Valley region is dominated more by bulk wine, rather than premium wine, production.